"Katteni Kaizo" review: The appeal of unique characters and story

"Katteni Kaizo": A masterpiece OVA that brings Koji Kumeta's unique worldview to life

"Katteni Kaizou" is an OVA based on the manga of the same name by Koji Kumeta. It was released by King Records on May 25, 2011, with Akiyuki Shinbo as general director, Naoyuki Tatsurin as director, and Shaft as animation production. This is an anime adaptation that fans have been waiting for for many years, and it has been produced in a way that lives up to those expectations.

■Overview of the work

"Katteni Kaizou" is based on a manga that was serialized in Shogakukan's "Weekly Shonen Sunday". The story revolves around the protagonist, Katsu Kaizou, and the unique characters that surround him. The OVA brings out the best of the original work in its short 51-minute length of one episode.

■ Story

The story of "Katteni Kaizou" begins with a high school student named Katsu Kaizou who believes himself to be a cyborg. Due to an incident caused by his childhood friend Natori Umi, Kaizou turns into a weirdo. The OVA depicts Kaizou's eccentric behavior and the exploits of the troublemakers surrounding him. In particular, the charm of Natori Umi as a yandere heroine, the dark side of Saien Suzu, and Tsubouchi Chitan's struggle as a subordinate are highlights.

■ Characters

Each character in "Katteni Kaizou" has a strong personality. The protagonist, Katsu Kaizou, is initially set up as an annoying, air-headed protagonist who believes himself to be a cyborg, but as the story progresses, this setting tends to be forgotten. Natori Umi is a classmate of Kaizou's, and is a yandere heroine who is unable to read the mood and has an obsessive and sadistic personality. Saien Suzu is a senior in the science club to which Kaizou and his friends belong, and is a mysterious beauty with a dark and miserly side. Tsubouchi Chitan is a character who grows from a supporting character to a punchline character, using the low-life aura that permeates his entire body as a weapon. The story woven by these characters is full of laughs and surprises.

■ Production staff

The production staff for "Katte ni Kaizou" includes Akiyuki Shinbo as general director and Naoki Ryurin as director. Akiyuki Shinbo is an anime director also known for the "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" series, and has produced many masterpieces in collaboration with Shaft. Character design is by Hiroki Yamamura, color design by Izumi Takizawa, editing by Kazuhiko Seki, sound direction by Toshiki Kameyama, and music by Ruka Kawada. Music production is handled by Starchild Records, and the film is produced by the Katte ni Kaizou Production Committee.

■Cast

The cast of "Katteni Kaizou" includes Takahiro Sakurai as Katsu Kaizou, Eri Kitamura as Natori Umi, Chiwa Saito as Tsubouchi Chitan, Aki Toyosaki as Saien Suzu, and Yui Horie as Yamada-san. These voice actors bring out the individuality of each character to the fullest, adding depth to the work.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme song for "Katteni Kaizou" is "Katteni Kaizou Shite Ii Ze" (You can do it any way you like), sung by Ichiro Mizuki and Tokusatsu. The ending theme song is "Nani ga Nani de Nani na no..." (What's that...?), sung by Shin☆Yoshiko Shintani (CV: Shintani Yoshiko). These songs are important elements that liven up the atmosphere of the work.

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Katteni Kaizo" has been highly praised as an animated version of Koji Kumeta's unique worldview. In particular, it has been praised for faithfully recreating the appeal of the original work while taking advantage of the expressive power unique to anime. The characters' personalities and story development are also beautifully portrayed, and fans have expressed their satisfaction. The production by Akiyuki Shinbo and Shaft is also a factor in enhancing the quality of the work.

Personally, I was especially impressed by Katsu Kaizo's eccentric behavior and Natori Umi's charm as a yandere heroine. Ayano Suzu's dark side and Tsubouchi Chitan's struggle as a subordinate also provide laughs and surprises. Overall, this is a work that allows you to enjoy Koji Kumeta's worldview, and I think it's great that they managed to bring out the best of it in the short time of an OVA.

■ Related works

"Katteni Kaizo" is based on the manga "Katteni Kaizo Volume 2" and "Katteni Kaizo Volume 3". These works also allow you to enjoy Koji Kumeta's unique worldview. The subtitles for the OVA were planned to be "Episode 1: The Awakened Man" and "Episode 2: The Dignity of Beautiful Men", but it was ultimately produced as a one-episode OVA.

■Recommendation

"Katteni Kaizo" is a work recommended not only for fans of Koji Kumeta, but also for those who want to enjoy the unique worldview of anime and manga. In particular, I would recommend it to those who are interested in the personalities of the characters and the development of the story. Another point not to be missed is the collaboration between Akiyuki Shinbo and Shaft. It is also commendable that it brings out the charm of the original work to the fullest in the short time of an OVA. Please pick up this work and enjoy Koji Kumeta's unique worldview.

■Detailed information

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

May 25, 2011

■Release and sales

Distributor: King Records

■Frequencies

51 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Koji Kumeta

■ Director

General Director/Akiyuki Shinbo Director/Naoyuki Tatsuwa

■ Production

Animation Production / Shaft Production / Katteni Kaizo Production Committee